Despite placing just eighth in the recently concluded 12th season of The Amazing Race, Goth lovers Kynt Cothran and Vyxsin Fiala have definitely made a statement and showed the world that they have enough attitude to make it big in the United States. Sure, they didn't win a million dollars, but their popularity has become an opportunity for them to pursue big endeavors outside of reality TV.

Since their first appearance on The Amazing Race as "The Pink and Black Attack," Kynt and Vyxsin have been making guest appearances in several local Goth gigs and events. More recently, the couple has shown their support for a very good cause. Your Takejayddw said: I liked this couple right from the start. They got along well, except for the one time they almost fought.... see all » rocketdog093 said: Yeah man! I knew these two would go far!!! see all »

Much like the now-openly gay Lance Bass formerly of the pop band *NSYNC, Kynt and Vyxsin have also paid their respects to Lawrence King, the 15-year-old E.O. Green Junior High School student who was shot dead by a younger schoolmate because King reportedly went to school dressed in feminine clothes and wore make-up. Kynt and Vyxsin were present at the March 26th Candlelight Vigil in West Hollywood Park, California, tagged "Fallen Angel: A Tribute to Lawrence King."

"We can make a difference in this situation, and help make sure Lawrence is NEVER forgotten," Kynt said. "As a fellow 'Boy-in-Makeup,' I understand and can relate to the torment and turmoil which Lawrence endured from others at his school."

Kynt believes that everyone has a right to express one's self, whether he or she is gay or straight.

"Lawrence was considered an outcast, and often teased for his appearance, which is a situation I can relate to very well, as I am a male who is proud to enjoy a more effeminate appearance," Kynt said. "I am saddened that Lawrence's creativity, free-thinking, and individuality might have contributed to his murder."

"Every student deserves to attend school with the assumption that they will be safe, no matter how they choose to express themselves aesthetically," Kynt continued. "This is a tragedy but one I feel can be averted in the future with an increased emphasis on diversity and tolerance education in schools."

Like Lance Bass, Kynt believes that issues like these need to be addressed most importantly by the elders, who serve as a guide and model for the youth.

"Parents need to take charge as well, and be mindful of acceptance as they mold the thoughts, ideas, and outlook of their child," he said. "Creating a culture based on an 'acceptance and appreciation of difference,' whether that difference is race, religion, sexuality, gender expression, or aesthetic, is the responsibility of EACH and EVERY American. This must happen."

Meanwhile, Kynt and Vyxsin have also been featured as models for the Hot Topic clothing line, which specializes in Goth and punk wear. The video below follows their photo shoot for Hot Topic.

(see previous post for link)

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In other news, Kynt and Vyxsin will be appearing as special guest hosts at the Goth Prom 2008, which will be held on May 17 at 7pm at the Derby City Espresso, 331 E. Market, Louisville, Kentucky. Featured DJs for the event include Count Grozny and PaulFear. There will also be an official Gothic Beauty Magazine signing with Kynt and Vyxsin, who were featured in the magazine's 25th issue. The magazine includes an exclusive interview and pictorial with Kynt and Vyxsin, and is now available in newsstands everywhere.

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Kynt and Vyxsin first captivated America as the "stand-out team" on the most recent season of the Emmy Award Winning CBS reality series The Amazing Race. Throughout the program, Kynt and Vyxsin were noted for their over-the-top makeup, signature hairstyles/colors, and gender-blurring fashion. The duo was also noted for their unending enthusiasm, light-hearted humor, and deep respect for each other, the other teams, and the locals of each foreign country. During the closeof the race leg in Mumbai, India, host Phil Keoghan dubbed the duo, the "Most Fashionable Couple in Amazing Race history," an award Kynt and Vyxsin take very seriously!

Keoghan's keen eye for Kynt and Vyxsin's style was only the beginning, as Hot Topic quickly took notice, and invited the duo to their international headquarters in City of Industry, California. "I feltlike I was visiting Santa's Workshop," stated Kynt regarding their arrival at the headquarters. "This is where the magic begins, where so much incredible fashion originates, this is our teenage dream come true." Vyxsin added, "It is incredible and humbling to be a part of the Hot Topic family. This has been our favorite store for so many years. In fact, this is where I purchased my first Pink Hair Dye and Hello Kitty T-Shirt!" Often described as "The Loudest Store in the Mall," Hot Topic is a natural "pit stop" for the "Pink and Black" racers. Hot Topic opened their first store in 1989 and was the first national mall chain featuring music-inspired apparel and accessories. Aimed at teens and the young at heart, Hot Topic has also brought iconography from underground cartoons, cult movies/television, and comic books to the shopping shelves of middle America. Hot Topic is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ under the symbol HOTT; the ever-expanding franchise currently has stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Kynt and Vyxsin have re-defined the public perception of youth "scene" culture and underground fashion. The two can still be seen "amazing racing," as their season of the Race is currently airing worldwide: as a first-run program on the TV2 network in New Zealand, as well as on the AXN network throughout Singapore, the Phillipines, and the entire Asia-Pacific region. They are also currently a part of America's OTHER favorite race - the Kentucky Derby - as Kynt and Vyxsin are a major part of this year's Kentucky Derby Festival and Pegasus Parade. "The Pink and Black Attack will never stop racing" remains one of Kynt and Vyxsin's favorite slogans. These "scene icons" are bringing their passion for fashion, makeup, and life to a Hot Topic mall store near you.

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If you live in TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA or a surrounding area, come out THURSDAY MAY 22nd!!!

Hey Everyone!

We have an AMAZING ANNOUNCEMENT today!!! Vyxsin and I will be making our *FIRST* appearance in CANADA on Thursday May 22nd! We will be appearing in and hosting the huge IMAGO Fashion Show at club CIRCA in Toronto, Ontario!

Here are the details below: ---IMAGO MAGAZINE PRESENTS: IMAGO SHOW -A Multimedia Evening of Fashion and Performance Art, hosted by Kynt and Vyxsin

Kynt and Vyxsin radio interview in Toronto today on Toronto's 97.3 EZRock

Vyxen and Kynt from The Amazing Race (Season 12)

Vyxen and Kynt from Season 12 of The Amazing Race joined Stu and Colleen. Host, Phil Keoghan called them the "most fashionable couple in the history of The Amazing Race.' Have a listen and find out why!

Kynt & Vixyn (sp?!) from the Amazing Race stopped by the studio today. Very, very nice people. Walked them to the lobby to show them out, when Kynt (sp?!) asked, "Darryl, is it easy to get a cab in this part of town?" And I said yes. But I thought...dude, you were on The Amazing Race! THE AMAZING RACE! Maybe he was kidding. Their interview is on Stu & Colleen's page, and there's a great shot of them on the photo gallery page. And yes that's a real clue they're holding. Cool!

Viewers around the world fell in love with hot-pink reality racers Kynt and Vyxsin

May 22, 2008 04:30 AM

Kynt and Vyxsin, the Goth couple from Amazing Race 12, navigated their way through eight countries in 30 days but they were having a terrible time connecting with the Star in Toronto. There was a flurry of emails agreeing to meet at a certain time but they failed to say where. Hey, it's a big city, guys.

We finally sit down over beer (Vyxsin) and water with lemon (Kynt) in a midtown hotel. Vyxsin drinks her draught beer through a straw. You don't spend 15 minutes perfecting your black lipstick and liner only to blow it with beverage.

They are in town hosting and appearing in a fashion show tonight featuring Underground Youth Fashion at Circa niterie on John St.

Since the end of the show, they've been on a PR whirl: guesting on E! Talk Soup; appearing in the new issue of Gothic Beauty magazine; modelling for the clothing chain Hot Topic; and going on a cruise to Nova Scotia with Rosie O'Donnell.

They were the only Goth couple in more than 50,000 people who applied for the show. But they're not scary, ripped-fishnets, leather-and-studs Goth. They are sweet. They are the Hello Kitty Goths.

Vyxsin's heroine growing up was Anne of Green Gables but her fuchsia pigtails make her look like Pippi Longstocking. The kids in Africa thought her hair was cotton candy.

Whether rappelling against castle walls in Croatia or biking on a high wire over a gorge in Ireland, he wore guy-liner and she wore full makeup – but not their signature Herman Munster platform boots. They compromised with black and silver sneakers and wore matching outfits in hot pink and black.

"We wanted to blind and disorient the opposition," Vyxsin explains. "We hoped they would underestimate us."

There was backlash.

"They'd say, `Have you seen those two Goth girls?'" says Kynt. "I can be androgynous."

"They called us freaks," says Vyxsin. "That was ouchy."

They both come from middle-class families in Louisville, Ky., where they were waiting tables before Race while trying to break into the performance art scene. There isn't much of a Goth scene in Louisville, despite their best efforts as teens. They admit to being 20something now.

He loved Tim Burton; she posed for her Grade 8 photo in the cemetery. His background is in music; hers is in theatre.

They raced through Burkina Faso in West Africa, Holland, India, Lithuania, Croatia and Italy à la Goth. What did the folks in Vilnius think of them?

"Our aesthetic worked to our advantage," says Kynt. "We give off a friendly vibe. We are not intimidating. We're not depressed or angry. Actually, we're on the prissy side."

"We are like real-life cartoon characters," adds Vyxsin. "If we were tough and wore vinyl and rivets, Vilnius would be scared."

They met three years ago when he handed her a flyer to Goth Night. They say they're a "couple" but come off more like girlfriends.

"Vyxsin and I share goals, outlook and cosmetics," Kynt says. And shoes. They take the same size.

Her father, an ex-army man, put them through a boot camp after they'd been accepted on the show. Vyxsin, who Kynt calls "a pink-haired Lara Croft," grew up rappelling, hiking and camping. He is afraid of heights and can't swim.

"I packed pink inflatable water wings for Kynt," says Vyxsin, a former lifeguard.

He packed his flat iron. Even pole vaulting in Amsterdam, he didn't want the frizzies.

"When we look our best, we play our best," he says. "You can't roll out of bed and be Goth. It's high maintenance."

If you are like me and love the Bil Brown photo of Kynt and Vyxsin running from the vintage airplane--Kynt says that is available now as an insert in the latest issue of Gothic Beauty magazine available now at Borders, etc...

And his "naughty" Cinderella pic will be available as a centerfold in the next(?) or anyway soon to be out Imago magazine.

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IMAGO magazine is a very couture, very EDGY magazine...and they wanted a gender-blurring centerfold with a naughty edge to it.

i told them - nudity - NO WAY.

Naughty - i can do that *wink wink*

and the issue is based on fairy tales...so Vyxsin and i are creating a theme based on Cinderella.

i'm the "fairy godmother" in that pic, casting the spell which will turn the hapless Vyxsin into Cinderella. in the next pic after that one (in the issue) Vyxsin is in a full length pink and purple gown!

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They SO rock "Amazing Race's" Kynt and Vyxsin to appear at Indianapolis gay pride parade

"Amazing Race" competitors Kynt and Vyxsin will appear in the Indianapolis Gay Pride Parade and Festival this weekend.

Kynt and Vyxsin will also away a vacation package thanks to one of their sponsors the Sheraton of Indianapolis.

Since their appearance on "The Amazing Race" Kynt and Vyxsin have been traveling the world appearing as guests in festivals, parades, and special events. The couple has also been doing gay activist work such as speaking out spoke out again a recent hate crime in Hollywood, California where a openly gay teen was shot by a classmate.

The Indy Pride Festival focuses on GLBT community building and brings thousands of LGBT community members and their supports to Military Park each year.

If you were in Pioneer Park last week and thought you saw a tall woman with bright pink hair wearing high heels, fishnet stockings, and a mini-skirt walking next to a man dressed in black wearing platform shoes, both with over-the-top makeup, no, you weren’t seeing things.

Kynt and Vyxsin, the goth couple who gained notice during CBS’ reality show “Amazing Race,” were in Alaska at the invitation of "American Gothique Magazine." They hosted dance nights at clubs in Anchorage and Fairbanks and stopped by Hot Topic in Fairbanks, a clothing chain that caters to the rock and goth crowds.

Their message is simple: You can’t judge a book by its cover. They are trying to present a positive picture of the goth culture — which is alive and well in Fairbanks, they said. They were pleasantly surprised at the response they got about their Alaska stops on their MySpace site, including notes from several goths in Fairbanks.

“It’s great to find some kindred spirits,” Vyxsin said Monday. “We like the vibe of the city. It’s chill, it’s friendly.”

One of their goals is to present a more positive view of the goth culture. Goth culture covers a range of topics: for some it’s about fashion, to others it’s a lifestyle. The gothic look involves black clothing, white makeup and edgy accessories.

There are a lot of misconceptions about goth culture, Vyxsin said. The stereotype is that they are depressed, socially inept basement dwellers, when most of the people Kynt and Vyxsin have met are intelligent, insightful and just plain fun.

They’re not in Fairbanks to recruit goths, Vyxsin said. “We want to give people an appreciation for something different, “whatever scene that inspires them, no matter what flavor they choose.”

They stopped in at McCafferty’s on Monday to talk about the TV series, the Harry Potter books, goth culture and life on the road before briefly touring the Fairbanks Community Museum and dog mushing museum. Vyxsin is fascinated by history and was mesmerized by historic photos of Fairbanks and the gold rush.

Despite their, by Fairbanks standards, outlandish appearance, the couple was frank, down to earth and refreshingly forthright about their time in the spotlight.

They say they’re amazed at the range of their fan base — in one month they appeared in Gothic Beauty magazine and in Nickelodeon magazine.

Kynt and Vyxsin are from Louisville, Ky., where they worked as waiters and in a hair-styling salon before auditioning for “The Amazing Race.”

On the show, they were noted for their over-the-top makeup, signature hairstyles, and “passion for fashion.”

“We try to think outside the coffin,” Vyxsin said.

Although they didn’t win the million-dollar prize, they enjoyed the television show and overall got to keep their “game faces” on, although they said they started “melting” toward the end. They credit the show with opening a lot of doors for them.

“We always wanted to have a career of just being us,” Vyxsin said.

In the past year, in addition to appearing on the reality show, they have traveled all over the world (Fairbanks is the farthest north they’ve been, so far), been invited to go on a cruise up the northeast coast of Canada with Rosie O’Donnell, host a Halloween special — they toured a former tuberculosis sanitarium near Louisville that is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in the United States.

“I really feel like the “Amazing Race” wasn’t the end but the beginning of a greater journey,” Kynt said.